Ministry of Defence(MoD) has announced that over 1,000 youths under the Zambia National Service (ZNS) Voluntary Training Programme are set to undergo medical examinations.
MoD Principal Public Relations Officer, Paul Shalala, revealed that of the 1,092 youths selected for training, 468 are females and 624 are males, drawn from all constituencies across the country.
“The examinations began on Monday this week to prepare the youths ahead of the training, which starts on 1 September 2025. The purpose is to ascertain their fitness for the mandatory six-month military training programme,” Mr Shalala said in a press statement yesterday.
“Medical personnel from the Zambia National Service are conducting the examinations at ZNS Kitwe Training School, ZNS Chishimba Camp in Kasama, and ZNS Chiwoko Camp in Katete.”
Mr Shalala added that ZNS Kitwe Training School Commandant, Colonel Mwila Mulubwa, and Colonel Bright Sichone from the ZNS Medical Branch in Lusaka are leading the screening process.
He further stated that the screening also includes verification of academic credentials to ensure that only those who qualify are admitted for training.
Mr Shalala disclosed that the training is being undertaken at a cost of 17.1 million Kwacha under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), following President Hakainde Hichilema’s directive to the Ministry of Defence to restart the programme.